Landings by Scottish registered vessels

The decrease in value of fish landings in 2015 was driven by a
12 per cent decrease in the quantity of pelagic landings. The value
of pelagic landings decreased by 27 per cent. Shellfish landings
decreased in value and volume and the demersal landings increased
in volume, while the value remained stable:

Shellfish - 11 per cent decrease in value, six per cent
decrease in volume

Pelagic

The total value of pelagic landings in 2015 decreased by 27 per
cent to £160 million. The volume of pelagic landings
decreased by 12 per cent to 291,500 tonnes. Mackerel is the most
valuable stock to the Scottish fleet worth £131 million and
it accounted for 30 per cent of the total value of Scottish
landings. The volume of mackerel landed by Scottish registered
vessels in 2015 was 200,000 tonnes, 17 per cent lower than in 2014.
Fifty six per cent of the mackerel landings by Scottish registered
vessels was landed abroad. This is higher than the previous year's
figures which saw 50 per cent of the volume of mackerel landed
abroad. The average price of mackerel landed abroad decreased 17
per cent to £667 per tonne in 2015, whereas the average price
of mackerel landed in to Scotland decreased 23 per cent to
£635 per tonne.

In 2015, the volume of herring landed by Scottish vessels
decreased by four per cent to 59,000 tonnes, although the value of
herring increased by 15 per cent to £21 million, due to a 21
per cent rise in the average price to £363 per tonne.

Demersal

The total value of demersal landings in 2015 was £143
million, the same level as in 2014. The volume of landings
increased two per cent to 90,700 tonnes. Haddock, monkfish and cod
are the most valuable demersal stocks to the Scottish fleet. The
value of haddock decreased 11 per cent in 2015 to £37
million, and the volume landed decreased ten per cent to 27,000
tonnes.

The value of monkfish landings increased six per cent to
£26 million due to a 27 per cent increase in the volume
landed, to 11,000 tonnes. The volume of cod landed in 2015 was five
per cent higher than 2014, contributing to a two per cent increase
in the value to £23 million.

The volume and value of landings of megrim, saithe and whiting
in 2015 all fell compared to 2014, whereas the volume and value of
hake, ling and plaice all increased. The value of hake landings was
£16 million, a 15 per cent increase from 2014. This was due
to an eight per cent increase in the volume landed and a seven per
cent increase in the price per tonne. Both ling and plaice landings
were valued at £5 million, a seven per cent and nine per cent
increase from 2014 respectively. There was a 44 per cent increase
in the volume of 'other demersal' species landed in 2015 and a 22
per cent increase in the value. This was mainly due to the increase
in the volume of sand eels landed and an increase in the value of
wrasse landed by Scottish vessels.

Shellfish

The total value of shellfish decreased by 11 per cent to
£134 million, while volume of shellfish landed decreased six
per cent to 57,600 tonnes.
Nephrops (Norway Lobster/Langoustine) are the most
valuable shellfish stock, accounting for 45 per cent of the value
of shellfish landings, and they are the second most valuable stock
overall to the Scottish fleet. In 2015, the total value of
Nephrops decreased by 19 per cent to £61 million.
This is due to a 20 per cent decrease in volume landed to 16,000
tonnes and a one per cent increase in average price to £3,688
per tonne.

Scallops are the second most valuable shellfish stock to the
Scottish fleet, making up 25 per cent of the value of shellfish
landings. The volume of scallops landed in 2015 decreased three per
cent to 16,000 tonnes. However, the value of scallops increased one
per cent to £33 million, due to a four per cent increase in
the average price to £2,082 per tonne.